Keyblade's Trial
by SageofAges729
Summary: A normal, Earth based girl is made to go through the Stations of Awakening. Her only advantage? Knowledge. Rated T for violence and mild swearing. Oneshot, unless enough interest is generated. Critique appreciated.


Author's note: No major plans to continue this, unless people think it's good. I am working on an alternate OC fic for Kingdom Hearts, but this demanded to be written first. Corrections and critique is welcome.

Summery: A normal, Earth based girl is put through the Stations of Awakening.

**Keyblade's Trial**

by Sage of Ages

It was strange, when I think back on it. I remember being aware as I took in my surroundings, but it was...vague, for lack of a better term. Dream like. Fitting, all things considered, but still strange. I knew that I wasn't dreaming at the time. I'm never so lucid in dreams. But I wasn't as active as I was in reality either. I just didn't feel the need to worry at the time.

It started with the sensation of falling. A current flowed against me; denser than air, but lighter than water. I opened my eyes, surrounded by darkness. What was happening?

I felt myself slow down, and instinctively righted myself. I came to a gentle landing on a dark surface, barely able to distinguish the ground from the rest of the space around me. I stepped forward, trying to make sense of what was happening, but then the ground seemed to explode in a flare of light. I covered my eyes, trying to spare my sight as the sound of feathered wings wooshed around me. I looked up, only to see a flock of doves fly off into the eternal dark in the distance. As the last bird flew out of sight, I looked down to see what was glowing so brightly and breathed in amazement.

I stood on a circular platform which was made by what appeared to be stained glass. An image of myself was in the upper center half of the platform. Three smaller circles surrounded my sleeping image, and I recognized Jasmine, Esther, and Katherine, all smiling. I noted in some amusement and flattery that the art was in the style of Tetsuya Nomura. The background to the people was what appeared to be the local park near my house, all green hills and pine trees and bright blue sky.

I looked up, idly tugging a strand of unruly long hair as I examined the strange darkness that swallowed everything outside of the platform. There appeared to be some sort of mist or smoke all around the area, and when I looked up, a very dim light showed through the barrier, the mist circling slowly. I thought that it made that light look a little like a galaxy.

As I was finishing my scan of the smoky darkness surrounding me, something odd happened.

There is much to be done.

It wasn't a voice. And as such, there was no discernible gender or distinguishable characteristic to it. It was simply a thought. But not my own. It's really impossible to properly explain. The phrase just slipped into my mind, staying long enough to be registered before fading away.

And little time to do it.

A rumbling sound brought my attention towards the edges of the platform in front of me. Three stone pedestals rose from the platform's floor, the sound of rock scrapping glass echoing oddly against the empty darkness. When they became still, the space above each pedestal burst into light as a single item appeared above them.

Step forward. Can you do it?

"I can," I quietly replied. "But do I _want_ to?" After all, I knew what this meant, as impossible as it was. I never came into contact with any Keyblade bearer, never mind going through the Rite of Succession. So how in the world(s) was I going through the Stations of Awakening? How could I be going through the ritual of earning a Keyblade?

If it hadn't been for the dream like calmness, I'd have had a panic attack right then and there. Instead, I just walked toward the center, looking at the weapons of Dream.

I blinked in surprise when I saw the center pedestal. Instead of the Sword of Dream, there was a dagger in its place. Out of curiosity, I approached it and took it in hand, allowing the stream of thought to wash into my mind.

The power of the assassin.

To destroy your enemies from within the shadows.

A blade that need only strike once.

Is this the power you seek?

I raised an eyebrow. Instead of the warrior, I got the assassin? That class wasn't even canon. Interesting. I shook my head, and said aloud "No," before placing the weapon back. The emphasis on shadows and destruction made me nervous. Besides, I was crap at sneaking around.

I looked between the staff and shield. I really liked the idea the Guardian represented. To protect your friends and basically become a tank...but my physical ability was non-existent. I had no idea how the power of the defender would compensate for that, if it would at all.

Then there was the power of the Mystic. If I would ever want to fight in the KH-verse, it would be with magic. Hell, I designed a character that focused on buffing magic for the story, if only to avoid the typical attack magic OC. But, the tricky thing was that I didn't know if I'd ever get magic, or if I did, I would even survive the process. I was still on normal, plain old Earth after all. I doubt my grandparents would appreciate my slinging fire balls or ice crystals around their ranch, never mind the reaction of something like the government.

Time is running short. Make your decision.

Were the tone of the 'voice' any different, I would have bristled. But instead of the neutral, calm thoughts, these were tinged with worry and urgency. I frowned, wondering just who it was that was contacting me.

I shook my head. It wasn't ultimately important. What did matter was choosing the best method to defend myself. If this wasn't just a dream, then I needed to take this seriously.

After another minute or so of weighing the pros and cons, I sighed and made my decision. The shield was nice, and I loved the aspect it represented. But it wasn't good for _fighting back_. And if I went up against, say, an Organization member? I'd be worse than screwed. No, I thought, turning my eyes to the staff. If I had to fight, then I wanted to hit back.

I walked forward, and grasped the Rod of Dreams.

The power of the Mystic.

Inner strength.

A staff of wonder and ruin.

Is this the power you seek?

I took a shaky breath. "Damn me for being selfish, but yes." I had cringed at the ruin part, but...

The Rod exploded into particles of light before being absorbed by my body. I shuddered at the feeling of starlight and void before it subsided.

Don't be afraid. A hint of warmth came with this particular thought. Now, what will you give up in exchange?

I immediately moved to the dagger.

You wish to give up this power?

"Yes." The dagger dispersed into light, vanishing into the darkness. Funny enough, it felt like I lost something.

The floor began to shake, causing me to stumble and grab onto the pedestal. If I remembered correctly...a second passes as my suspicions were confirmed. The pedestals collapsed on the inner corner, and the entire platform began to shatter. A jolt of fear flitted through me as the floor literally disintegrated from beneath my feet. I cried out, then fell.

Time became a fuzzy concept for a while, and I don't remember the fall very well. I became aware when the second platform came into view. Though the design on it was the same, the colour theme for this one was different. Purple rather than green as it was on the first platform. The sky surrounding the design seemed to be at sunset, with only a single star shining.

I managed to flip my body upright, likely with the help of dream physics. Just as in Sora's trial, I came to a slow enough speed to land lightly on my sneakers, the tap barely audible on the stained glass. I waited for a moment, and the 'voice' returned.

You can now fight. Use this power to defend yourself and others.

The staff appeared suddenly in my hands with a flash of light. I was so startled that I almost dropped it. But the opportunity to study it was too good to pass up, so I took a closer look at it.

It was certainly heavier than I expected. The handle was carved out of a dense wood, oak likely. The paint was odd, as it shimmered with iridescence in the omnipresent light. The end was capped in what looked like silver, while the business end was capped in a darker metal, perhaps bronze. At the head was the majority of the weight, the centerpiece of the Rod of Dream.

In the game, the Mickey Mouse head looked rather silly, and could've been made out of plastic or glass. But reality made it much more dangerous looking, and a quick rap of the knuckles told me it was completely solid. It might've been made out of some kind of gem stone, though the prohibitive cost of that possibility made me cringe.

My musings were cut short by an odd noise. To my front, left, and right, Shadows began to rise from small pools of darkness that were spilling onto the platform.

"I hope your durable," I muttered to the staff as I shifted to a two-handed grip. I didn't bother trying to monkey Sora's style. I just had the weapon out to the front of me, prepared to bash and smash whatever came at me.

The first Shadow came at me, and I brought the Rod crashing down on the Heartless' head. The impact left it dazed, allowing me to get an upward swipe before the other Shadows got too close.

One had gone two dimensional and popped back into 3D right in front of me. I took the opening it granted and smacked it twice before the first aimed a swipe at me. I stepped back, then forward, kicking it in what passed as its face. That apparently counted as a good hit, because it dispersed into black mist.

The second one had decided to retreat, and it was replaced with a third, more hale Heartless. I knocked it around as well, but it went 2D before I could finish it off.

As you can see, it was no glorious battle or amazing confrontation. I barely had a clue as to what I was doing, and was basically praying that the 'Three hits and its dead' rule applied here. Add to the fact that I didn't have the panoramic view the game originally had, and it made for a difficult fight. Fortunately for me, the enemies weren't very tough. Unfortunately for me, I got to find out the hard way what it's like to get swiped by a Heartless.

The damned bugger snuck up behind me, as is usual for rookies like me. One second I was smacking a Heartless aside for jumping at me, the next I was screaming.

Getting hit by a Heartless, at least this kind anyway, is not typical. After I finished off the last Shadow, I looked for damage, and found not a single scratch on my hoodie. But I could _feel_ frozen lines of pain running down my back. I winced as I stretched the muscles affected. And while I didn't know how it might compare to a physical injury, as I had never gotten hurt that badly, damn if it didn't _sting_.

Behind you!

I swore, swinging my staff out just in time to catch a Shadow in the side. It flew, hit the edge, went _over_ the edge, and didn't come back.

I was more cautious in this round, now that damage had been done to me. I might be an apparent candidate for the Keyblade, but that didn't make me invincible. Just a thought to the Keyblade Graveyard made that obvious.

After another minute or so of wild swings and a second set of _burningfreezingstinging_ scratches across my right calf, all but one of the Heartless were cleared out. I was panting, but not doubled over as I would've been a few months earlier. All that hard work at my grandparent's ranch put me through had payed off it seemed.

Just as I was about to charge at the Shadow, a pool of darkness opened up underneath it, and the creature sank into it with ease. I was wondering if more Shadows would come out of the puddles, but instead found the damned things expanding.

"Oh hell," I whispered, remembering this part from Sora's dream. Before I could move away from the growing pools, one opened directly beneath my feet. I instantly sank an inch, yelping at the sudden drop. I tried pulling my feet free as I continued to sink, but I had no success. The liquid darkness proved to be as cold as the Heartless' attacks, making me shudder violently as I struggled to remain upright. When the stuff got up to chest level, I took in as deep a breath as I could, closed my nose and eyes, and prayed.

I still don't like thinking about that part of the test. I wasn't in there for a few seconds, then transferred onto the next platform. It was a _lot_ longer than that, or at least, it felt like it. I tried to count the seconds, but when I was hitting fifty, my lungs were straining too hard to concentrate on numbers. I started instinctively thrashing around in panic, the freezing liquid like molasses around me. Just as I was about to give up and breath, I found myself on the third platform.

I gulped in air like a fish out of water for at least a minute, fighting to keep myself from hyperventilating. By the time I calmed down, I was able to get up and take stock of my surroundings.

The platform was pretty similar to Sora's own third level. The predominate colours were yellow and pink. To my left was an image of a princess facing a sun, the image framed in a heart. To my front was the same princess back-lit by the same sun, also framed by a heart. The final image to my right was the princess facing a crescent moon and starts.

I frowned, surprised that I was getting this tutorial level. This mostly allowed the player to get used to the command list and actions such as pushing around obstacles and picking up items. So why was I getting it?

Looking ahead, I found the door that had been on Sora's level, though mine looked a bit different. Instead of the light tan wood with intricate carvings, mine was a dark polished brown. The designs carved into it were different as well, making it feel old fashioned. One major difference was that the frame of the door was already filled in, leaving only the door proper still ghost-like.

A milder test. Pass them to open this door.

I blinked, and a large wooden crate appeared before me in a flash of light.

"You've got to be kidding me," I shook my head. Test indeed...I gave the crate a bland look, then half-heartedly tried to shove it.

I stumbled when it actually moved. Even after 3 months of hard work, I was still quite the twig. How could I move such a large object?

I blinked again, then seriously pushed it around. I wasn't as fast as Sora, but I was able to move the crate around without straining myself too badly.

After I finished amusing myself with that, I broke the crate open with the staff. Trying to summon it was an interesting experience. Just wanting the Rod of Dream to show up in my hands wasn't enough. I found that I had to remember at least two aspects of the weapon quite vividly in order for it to appear. For now, I planned on concentrating on it's appearance and feel.

Once the crate was in enough pieces, I sifted through it to find the Potion. Sure enough, a colourful box was in the center of the mess, though it was smaller in life (or dream) than the game. I slipped it into my pocket, hoping that I wouldn't need it when I faced off against the boss at the end of this.

I turned to the door just in time to see the rest solidify in a flash of light. Looking at it with some trepidation. But since it was the only way out of here (short of jumping over the edge), I sighed, then approached it.

There was the sound of a lock undone, and then the door swung open soundlessly. I screwed my eyes shut against the blinding light emanating from the entrance. Seriously, where was it all coming from? With a huff of frustration, I made my way forward with eyes still shut, praying that I wouldn't trip up and make a fool of myself.

When the light finally died down, I looked up to find myself at the entrance of the local library of my hometown. Directly in front of me was the librarian's desk, which was empty. To my left were several rows of computers, none of them on. Beyond those were four long tables, often used as study tables. Surrounding those tables to their left, right, and behind were rows and rows of books. Save for the three people at the desks, the whole place was empty, making it eerily quiet.

Hold on. The door is still shut. Tell me about yourself.

The sudden intrusion was startling, and I scowled upward. "I'd like to know a bit more about you too," I groused, but complied with the unsaid request and approached the three people.

Jasmine was the closest. She was slightly heavy set, which was unsurprising for someone expecting their first child. Her long brown hair blocked her face from view as she drew in a notebook, her black, thick-clothed trench coat draped across the chair.

She looked up when I came up to her and asked "What do you want out of life?"

I thought for several moments before deciding to ignore the game's options and answered honestly, "To be remembered for a great accomplishment or action."

"To be remembered, huh?" Jasmine's copy hummed before returning to her art. I tried to look at the picture, only to see a strange blur.

Shaking my head at the surreality of my situation, I moved on to the next person, Esther. She had light brown hair that had a boyish haircut. She had a T-shirt under her grey jacket, as well as a worn pair of jeans. She was typing away on her laptop, the only bit of constant sound in the library.

"What are you afraid of?" she asked idly as she continued to work. That much this simulation had right, I noted with a small smile.

I thought hard on her question, as it didn't have a simple answer. "To lose myself. To forget everything I was and am, but still be alive for it."

"Is losing yourself that scary?" She looked up from her work, and I saw that the copy got the eye colour wrong. It should have been a grey-blue mix, not a solid grey. Oh well.

"It is," I responded, but Esther was ignoring me now. I shrugged with a sigh, and walked to Kathrine, who was sitting near a sun filled window, reading a book. Her hair was dark brown, but much wavier than Jasmine's. She was also the tallest of us, almost half a head taller than me. She was wearing her jeans and jean jacket today, and was reading The Hobbit.

"What's the most important thing to you?" she asked, looking up from her book. Her Native American heritage was most obvious in her eyes and face structure.

This was easy, not only because I could give the morally right answer, but because it was the honest answer. "My friends and family. I wouldn't be who I am today without them."

"Family and friends are that important to you?"

"Yes." Once more, no answer, but that was expected.

I moved back to the center of the room and waited for a few moments. My patience was soon rewarded when I 'heard' the voice.

You want to be remembered.

You're afraid of losing yourself.

You want friendship and family.

Your adventure will begin at midday.

Keep a steady pace, and you'll come through fine.

I sighed in relief even as light blinded me again. A noon journey meant steady leveling in the game, which hopefully meant things wouldn't get too intense, whatever might happen.

The day the door will be found is both far off and very near.

The door...? Of course; for Sora, it said he would open it. Was I to assist him then?

The light faded, and I found myself on the fourth platform. The stained glass was back to it's original design, though the sky background had once more changed. From noon to dusk, and now from dusk to midnight. The glass was a deep sapphire colour sprinkled with white stars, a single crescent moon hovering in the corner.

I turned my attention away from the décor and with an effort of will summoned the Rod of Dreams. I remembered the small army of Heartless Sora faced against at this part, and if I was up against something similar, it could give me a lot of trouble. I cringed as my two scratches flared up in pain at the memory of the last tussle.

Sure enough, I was soon surrounded by a full ring of Shadows. Doing my best to ignore the pain I was already in, I leapt over the Heartless in front of me, not wanting any enemies at my back. Whirling around, I brought the Rod to bear, and started swinging.

Two Shadows immediately charged. I smashed the one on the left in the face, and kicked the second away when it got too close. I did my best to pay attention to my sides, but I was busy enough fending off the frontal attack.

Just as I finished turning the first Heartless into mist, I noticed two more slip under my feet in 2D mode. I cursed and partially turned to keep an eye on them while hitting the second of the first pair across the back.

The last three that had been hanging back charged in, forcing my attention to split. I smacked one Shadow into the second, and tried to kick the third, but it got a scratch in, making me curse. In frustration, I struck hard, making it disperse.

The two that had gone 2D earlier chose that moment to strike. The first aimed for my calves while the second jumped and slashed at my upper back, leaving me reeling in pain.

Gasping for breath, I kept the staff as steady as I could while I smashed the third Heartless into nothingness, leaving four left. I charged at them, forcing them to scatter or get trampled.

I cornered one and smacked it over the edge. I turned, and found a Shadow in 2D flowing towards me. The second it popped up, I jumped on it like it was a Goomba. My greater weight crushed it, and I was left with two.

They tried to sneak behind me again, but their fewer numbers left it as a useless maneuver.

The second they went 3D, I knocked them around, until they fell apart. I made a thorough check of the platform, then collapsed, panting heavily.

My legs and back were in absolute agony, the freezing pain sinking bone deep it seemed. I pulled up my jeans leg, but couldn't see any actual damage. I knew that if I had the health bar in the game, I'd probably be in the red.

I was debating whether or not using my only Potion when a light appeared directly overhead. I looked up to see a little ball of light hovering just out of reach. Then, to my complete surprise, all of the wounds I had suffered up to that point vanished. The pain, the cold, the burning, it just faded in the span of five seconds.

"Whoa..." I stretched my legs and back, only to find no pain. "Sweet!" So, no save spot after the battle, but I did get a free healing. And right before the boss battle. Awesome!

Once the last of the pain left my body, the light moved away from me and past the edge of the platform. The moment it left the limits of the glass and metal colourful steps shimmered into existence, eventually leading to the final platform that I swore hadn't been there until just now.

I stood, brushing myself off, and eyed the glass path critically. I had a deathly fear of heights, one that had remained quite until now. With the knowledge that the glass would vanish behind me and that falling could mean my actual death (just thinking about those Heartless I tossed over the side made me shudder), I wasn't too keen on walking up the stairs and to the next platform. The fact that I'd face A Darkside there just made it worse.

With a sigh and a scowl, I dismissed the Rod of Dream and approached the walkway. I placed a foot on the first step and pushed down. When it gave no sign of instability, I cautiously put my weight on it.

Don't be afraid...

"Courage is not the lack of fear, but moving ahead despite its presence," I countered, taking one careful step at a time up the path, making sure not to look back as it silently disappeared behind me. I had my arms out to balance myself, trying to make sure I would have no chance of falling. "Besides, I'm no chosen one. I don't have the guarantee of surviving."

There was no verbal response, but I felt that if this voice had a face, it would have given me a sad smile. I moved up the path slowly, and when I hit the halfway point, made sure to summon the Rod back into my hands. Prepare for the worst, right?

Once I finally came to the last platform, I let myself stop for a moment and calm my racing heart. Fear of heights plus nearing boss fight meant that even with the strange, dream like calmness I was risking a panic attack. It took a minute or so of breathing exercises before I was willing to risk nearing the light shining down on the stained glass. A glimpse downwards confirmed my suspicions as to the design; the surrounding sky of the background was dawn, reds and oranges lining clouds, with a single star shining.

The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes.

Taking my cue, I turned around, watching my monstrous shadow literally rip itself from the ground. The long hair it mimicked from me wrapped itself around the creature's head, yellow eyes glowing in between the gaps of the 'turban.' The main body of the shadow mutated, its arms bulging up while it's legs became spindly. A large heart-shaped hole opened in it's chest, finishing the transformation process. The Darkside Heartless had arrived.

But don't be afraid.

I instinctively took a step back from the creature, bringing up the Rod of Dream to bear. I didn't think that Heartless were all that intelligent, but this one seemed far more aware of the situation than it should have been. It was glaring at me, and at the weapon that I bore. I noticed its fist curling and tensed. Dear God, how was I supposed to beat this thing?

And don't forget...

"I hold the greatest weapon of all, I know, now would you give me something useful?!" I snapped at the voice, all patience gone as the Darkside raised its fist, a harsh violet light charging around it. I leapt as the fist impacted against the platform, avoiding the ground-based shockwave, and immediately charged into the ankle deep dark pool at the base of its fist. Ignoring the Shadows and the freezing darkness, I grabbed the Rod between my teeth, clambered up the Heartless' massive arm, and grabbed onto a hair tentacle. Once I was close enough and had a stable enough grip, I took the Rod back into my right hand, and startled wailing on the Darkside's face.

It seemed to flinch and cringe at every hit, but didn't really react until I made a lucky whack at its eye. It reared up, giving off a horrendous noise of pain, and I recoiled at the assault on my hearing. I lost my grip on one of the hair-tentacles, screaming as I fell. Fortunately for me, a Shadow cushioned my landing. So instead of unconscious and surrounded by four lesser Heartless, I was merely stunned with three on my tail.

Knowing I needed to move, I got onto my knees, swinging wildly at the nearest Shadow. Breathing was an extremely painful task, but I forced the issue and wheezed my way through the mooks until they were dispelled.

And just in time too. The Darkside curled in on itself, then thrust its chest out, an ugly light emanating from the hole in its chest. I ducked under the first projectile it sent, and started clambering up on of it's lowered arms again. Whenever an energy ball came my way, I was forced to pause and hit it back with as much force as I could muster, though at least twice I screwed up and got myself burned for my efforts.

Once I got onto the monster's shoulder, I repeated the process of grabbing a tentacle and smacking away, specifically aiming for its eye now. When its movements became violent after a successful blow, I tightened my grip and kept on swinging.

Evidently it had enough, because I found myself brushed off of its shoulder like an irritating fly. Now that there were no convenient Shadows to land on, I wound up staying still much longer than advised as I tried to remember how to stay upright.

That's when my Potion fell out of my pocket with a _ting_ against the glass. Grabbing the small box desperately, I wobbled onto my knees while trying to keep an eye on the Darkside at the same time. I found a seam on the small box and broke it open to find a bottle inside. There was barely enough for a mouthful, but I opened the glass cork and drank down the awful tasting stuff.

I shuddered violently as the liquid burned down my throat, but I felt the pain from the non-physical burns from the energy blasts fade, and my thinking cleared up as well. _Note to self_, I thought as I clambered up to my feet, only to get sent stumbling again by a shockwave. _Potions can clear up minor concussions_.

Swearing as I got up again, I charged past the Shadows that were beginning to swarm. But instead of going up the arm again, I found a low-lying tentacle leading up to its forehead. Grabbing onto that, I climbed my way up and started what would hopefully be the last round of smacking the thing in the face.

Now that I was in front of it, it was a lot easier to aim for the weak spots. I viciously aimed for its left eye, refusing to flinch even as it gave the God awful noise. Channeling all of my frustration and flagging energy, I smashed the staff down on the hatefully glowing eye one more time before it grabbed me and slammed me down on the platform.

Reeling in pain, I tried to back away as the Darkside slammed both hands down on either side of me. I made to hit it when its face got close, but found that the Rod was no longer in my hand. With the amount of pain I was in, there was no way I'd be able to summon the weapon in time to defend myself.

I tried to think of a way out of the situation I was in, but whatever my train of thought had been at the time was interrupted by coils of dark power wrapping around me. Crying out in pain and fright, I struggled to get free. At this point, I was too tired, scared, and hurt to even remember this part of the game.

—But don't be afraid...

The soundless voice which had guided me throughout this whole mess was weak and difficult to comprehend. It was as if something was interfering with a signal, causing it to fade in and out of focus.

_How can I __**not**__ be afraid?!_ I thought as I tried to keep myself above the encroaching cold. The hate-filled eyes of the Darkside loomed above me, but the concept of drowning in the clawing dark scared me even more.

You hold one of the greatest weapons of all...

I could feel the darkness flowing over my chest and legs, and despite my best efforts, I couldn't wrench them free from the burning cold. When my free arm became trapped, it was all I could do to stop myself from screaming.

So don't forget...

Then the darkness started wrapping around my face. Any semblance of pride fled as I shrieked. I was submerged in pure darkness for a second time, and it was even worse than the first. Because not only was my body attacked by the corrosive substance, but my mind was as well. Childhood nightmares, guilts that hover in the back of my mind, and above all, fear. I thought that I was really going to die as _freezing-burning-pain-pain-pain_ caught in my lungs and mouth, and I flashed back to my first brush with drowning...

And when I passed out, I heard it for one last time, clearer then it ever had been.

You will guide the one who will open the door.


End file.
